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Friday, May 22, 2015

Royal Frosting - Jax's Birthday Cookie Edition

I have been looking forward to making these cookies for quite some time now. In fact, I ordered the cookie cutter back in February. I spent days looking around for a cookie cutter of a jack. I wanted to make little take home bags of cookie "Jax" for everyone. I didn't think it would be that hard. I was wrong! So, I ended up ordering one custom. I talked to the people at Truly Mad Plastics and they were a dream to work with. (This is in no way sponsored by them, they probably have forgotten all about me by now. But they were really easy to work with!) We figured out what I wanted and they printed it out on their 3D printer. While I was ordering, I went ahead and got the lab themed cutters I used to make these fun cookies.

I decided to go ahead and make the cookies from my favorite sugar cookie dough. I knew a batch would make more than enough and everyone loves them. Why mess with a good thing? This might not have been the best decision. I love this recipe because it makes a really soft dough and delicious cookies. It is great for big open shapes,but wasn't great for these Jax with the narrow pieces. I ended up having to work quite a bit of extra flour into the dough. The sturdier cookie dough would have been a better choice in hindsight. It all worked out in the end and the cookies still tasted lovely.

This royal frosting recipe is nothing earth shattering. It is the same one everyone uses. I just haven't posted it hear yet, so I figured it was time! Consistency is the key here. The original recipe makes a really thick frosting. It is great to color it or store it that way. But you really want to thin it out with more water before you use it.

I am not going to claim to be an expert at this. There are a million websites and youtube videos out there that are way better than I could dream to be. But I like making simple cookies. I make it as easy on myself as I can, while still making cookies that are cute enough to add a little fun to the dessert table. I usually try to just do a couple of colors at a time. Then I use either piping bags if I only need a small amount or for finer touches or condiment bottles for bigger areas. Nothing too crazy. Just enough.

1/2 tsp flavoring (can't contain any oil) I usually use lemon and/or vanilla

Warm water

1-2 T corn syrup (optional) Some people swear by it. I have done it both ways and don't see much of a difference.Food color gel

I usually start by emptying the powdered sugar into my mixer bowl with the whisk attached. I add the meringue powder and put on low for a couple of seconds to mix it.

I warm up about a 1/4 cup of water and add the flavoring (and corn syrup if using). While the mixer is on low, I slowly pour it in. Then I get a little more warm water in my measuring cup.

I slowly drizzle in a little bit of water at a time until I reach the consistency of honey.

Then I turn the mixer up to medium-high and let it go until the icing is thick and white and airy. (Usually a few minutes)

At this point, you can scoop the icing into air tight containers and keep on the counter for up to a couple of weeks. I usually put it into a variety of smaller containers, so there isn't much air between the icing and the lid and so I don't have to keep getting icing from the same big container. I am not sure if this matters at all, but it is what I normally do.

When I am ready to use the frosting, I scoop what I need into a glass measuring cup and color. It is best to do all of what you need for a certain color at one time so that it is consistent. If you want to outline and flood, you'll want to adjust the whole thing (by adding a drop of water at a time) to your outline consistency. Take out what you want for outlining, then continue to thin what is left until you have your desired flood consistency. Don't go too thin! You will regret it!

Thank you! When I used to try doing two consistencies for outlining and flooding, I always ended up with a mess. Now I do one that is in between and that works much better for me! Have a great long weekend!

I have learned that if I keep to around 4 shapes and 4 colors of icing (and don't try anything too fancy), I can see the project through. Any more than that takes too long for me to maintain focus! I have been having a lot of fun messing with it, but I am still new and know that my skills are limited! Thank you for hosting!